The Only Hope For Me Is You
by FabulousxKilljoy
Summary: Sequel to Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back. Diamond Dahlia is finally adjusting to life as a Fabulous Killjoy. But what happens when a new threat reveals itself from the most unlikely of places? Discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

(A.N. Hello, lovely readers. My, it is good to be writing this again! After a little break I have stocked up on some chapters and am very much ready to go! I think for now I'll just upload about a chapter a week, maybe more. I know when finals come around in a few weeks there will most likely not be any updates for any of my stories. Then summer will be here and what I will kindly refer to as three months of non-stop writing will begin. So there's that to look forward to! X3

Also, before I lose your attention, maybe peek around my favorite stories list. There are a lot of good writers in there that deserve your beautiful reviews!)

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><p><em><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>__I do not own My Chemical Romance. I only saw them live on April 15, 2011. It was the greatest night of my life, but I digress. All O.C.s belong to their creators._

"Staring at her all day isn't going to make anything better."

"Shut up."

Fun Ghoul and Jet Star sat in silence. They were in a small room-formerly Ghoul's room-bright sunlight leaking through the thin, dusty drapes. The room was cluttered, clothes and magazines littering the floor and piled in corners. The desk in the corner was cluttered with papers and books. A small ceiling fan hung over them, but it hadn't worked in years. On the bed in front of the two lay a girl. Fifteen years old, her wild brown curls spread around her face and on the pillow her head rested on. Diamond Dahlia's face was peaceful. It looked as though she were sleeping, rather than in a near-comatose state for a month.

Ghoul just stared. He rarely left her side, only to eat and sleep if he was that exhausted. He was just now running on three hours of sleep and was getting extremely worried as he eyed the IV drip in Diamond's arm. Thank god a few months back Pony had gotten the idea to raid a passing BLI medical care truck. They'd gotten enough supplies to take care of any injury, and had stocked up in case the worst would happen. The drip was what was keeping Diamond alive until her body could do that itself, but they were running out. There weren't any med truck passing along the highway anymore, the Zone 8 stretch of Route Guano was abandoned aside from the occasional troupe of Killjoys passing through every week or so.

Jet sighed. He felt for his friend, he really did, but Ghoul practically starving himself at the girl's bedside wasn't helping anyone.

"Ghoul, I'm only trying to-"

"To what? Help?"

"Yeah, I guess. I just don't want to see you sit here like a vegetable all day."

"Jet," Ghoul looked at his friend, sorrow and exhaustion in his eyes, "I couldn't leave her if I tried."

Jet Star nodded. It was true; Diamond, for all intents and purposes, was Ghoul's daughter. He, before her eyes closed, had promised her everything would be okay. That she would wake up. That she would be safe.

For the most part Ghoul had kept his promise. She was as safe as ever, in a diner full of Killjoys. But she still hadn't woken up, and Ghoul wanted to keep that part of his promise most of all.

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><p>Party Poison admired his new hair color.<p>

"I can't believe you found dye all the way out in the desert!"

Kobra Kid smiled down at his brother, who was now running his fingers through his bright red hair, a small mirror in his hand. Party's hair had grown a bit and now hung in his eyes again. He was glad he could get rid of the black, it didn't suit him like it had so many years ago. Red was always his favorite color.

"It wasn't easy."

"I'm sure it wasn't, but that only makes it more awesome."

They were in the main room of the diner. Party was sitting in one of the booths, Kobra standing behind him. Missle Kid and Show Pony sat in the large corner booth across the room from them, playing cards.

"It looks great!" said Missle, looking up from her hand.

"Way better than black." Pony agreed.

Party beamed up at Kobra through the mirror. Kobra smiled, slightly wary. He knew this was another way from Party to pretend the events of the past month had never happened. Though, from the deep scars on Kobra's stomach, not to mention the scars on Diamond's leg, arms and side, Party knew it was going to take a lot to put the past behind them. After a good month of painful drug withdrawal and regaining most of his memory, Party's body seemed to be nearly his again. Kobra couldn't be happier about that; his brother was almost back to his old self.

At first it had been hell. He had been jittery, irritable, wracked with pain and guilt about what he'd done as details came back to him in the middle of the night. At first he'd thought the dreams were nothing, then, once Kobra got him to talk about it, he'd realized the dreams were memories resurfacing. He would still have them sometimes, new memories coming into his mind. Most were happy memories; of childhood, of the band, of goofing off with his friends. But then came the inevitable: the dreams of his lost family. His wife. His daughter. Kobra still remembered the first one, and sometimes it was all Party could think about.

It was almost two dreams in one. He was on stage, doing what he loved. By the end of the set the hot stage lights had drenched him in sweat, but he didn't care. He loved it.

"_So long and goodnight_…thank you guys! You've been fucking awesome! Goodnight!"

The band left the stage quickly. He felt himself tense, his nerved acting up at what he was about to do. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at Mikey, smiling wide.

"You ready for this?"

He grabbed a towel and wiped his face, rubbing off the smeared eyeliner.

"Yeah…" he replied weakly, "I guess."

They made it backstage. A woman sat on the couch, in a nice white t-shirt and black skinny jeans. Her black hair was tied back, in a messy up-do. When she noticed him her face broke into a beautiful smile and she stood up. Ray was next to her, a small stack of papers on his hand. He too smiled.

"Are you sure this is legal?" he asked Ray as he took the woman's hand, smiling back nervously.

"Perfectly legal." Ray smiled wider and shook the papers in his hand, "All you have to do is sign these and give them to the nearest state's attorney."

"So all we have to do is sign?"

"Technically yes…but where's the fun in that?"

"Ray…"

Ray ignored him. Instead he turned to Bob who, in typical Bob fashion, had appeared out of nowhere. "Get Frank, and tell him to bring the book." Bob nodded and walked away.

"Ray, what the hell are you-"

"Just go with it." He turned to the woman who had spoken. Her kind eyes calmed him and he felt himself unable to stop smiling back.

"You know I can't resist when you smile at me like that."

"That's the idea." She smiled and stepped closer, pressing her soft lips to his for a moment.

"Alright, fine. I'll go with it." She laughed and stepped back, still holding his hand. Frank, Bob and Mikey showed up. Frank was holding a large book, which he handed over to Ray. Ray cleared his throat and opened to book to a page marked with a bright pink Post-It note.

"Dearly beloved…" he began with a dramatic wave of his hand. Everyone groaned except for the woman. She just laughed.

Vows were exchanged. Promises to love each other as long as they lived were made. Amongst claps and cheers they slipped on rings and kissed before turning to sign papers.

They set their pens down in unison and turned to each other, making eye contact before kissing again, this time with a bit more force.

"Gross!" Mikey laughed from the corner of the room, "Save it for the honeymoon!"

It was then that the dream had shifted. He was in a hospital room. The same woman was now laying on the bed, screaming in pain. One of her hands clutched his, the other rested on her swollen stomach.

"I changed my mind!" she gasped, "Give me the damn meds!"

"Too late now sweetie," a nurse patted her head, "You wanted natural birth, you got it. Now push, you're doing wonderful."

She met his eyes in a very "You-Did-This-To-Me-Now-Do-Something-Or-I-Swear-To-God-I-Will-Murder-You-Without-A-Second-Thought" way but he just looked scared. There was little he could do.

The rest was a blur. He was pretty sure he almost fainted a couple times but within what felt like minutes he was holding a baby girl.

Everything was calm. It was just them in the room. It was nighttime, and the small lamp in the corner cast a warm glow on everything. He was in a chair, she still lay on the bed. Their heads were close together, both were looking at the baby.

"Bandit." The woman breathed.

"She looks just like you." He smiled, studying the face of his little girl. At that moment her eyes opened and she looked at him with bright hazel eyes. His eyes.

"She recognizes her daddy." The woman laughed softly.

He felt his heart swell. Daddy. He could get used to being called that.

And then he woke up, confused and strangely sad.

Kobra would have to explain later that that was his wife, LynZ, and their child, Bandit. Remembering them, and their deaths, had sent Party into a depression Kobra had only seen since their actual deaths. He didn't eat, he barely slept, he just stayed in his room; trying to both remember and forget.

But the sadness had faded quickly, replaced with grim acceptance.

Jet stepped out of Ghoul's room, knocking Party and Kobra out of their thoughts. He sat down at Pony and Missle's game.

"Deal me in." he said grimly.

"How is she?" Missle asked.

"Not better, not worse."

"How's he?" That came from Kobra.

"How do you think? He still won't leave her, and I don't blame him for that, but sitting in that room all day is doing absolutely nothing."

"Well he refuses to come out, so what do we do?" Kobra looked at the door to Ghoul's room.

"Let him be." Party said, setting down the mirror and sliding out of the both to sit by Jet. Kobra followed and sat next to Party.

"She'll wake up eventually." Said Missle, dealing Party and Jet in, "Do you want in?" she looked at Kobra.

He shook his head, "I'll just watch."

"You can help Pony make it less obvious he's cheating." Missle smirked.

"Hey! I am not cheating!"

"You totally are." Jet laughed, "I just saw you peek at Missle's hand when she wasn't looking."

"You lousy cheat! I knew it!"

"You looked at her cards, too!"

"Really Jet? Grow up!"

"I did not! You're going to take his word over mine?"

"At this point, I don't know."

"Um, guys? Can we just play?"

"Stay out of this, Party."

Party sat back and looked over at his brother, who just smiled at the bickering Killjoys.

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><p>(A.N. Because this is the first day of this fic, I think I'll give you two more chapters. Please rate and review if you want this to keep going!)<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

(A.N. Ouch, this is a short one! But I think you'll live. xD)

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><p>She had been swimming in darkness for ages. Every so often, she could hear them. Voices. Telling her to wake up.<p>

_Please Diamond._

_Come back._

_Wake up, wake up, please._

She tried to move. Tried to speak. Tried to scream. She had to reach those voices, the voices of her family, calling out to her. But the darkness made any attempt at movement impossible.

Then, alight voice, filled with peace and kindness.

"You need to stop fighting it."

She was laying on her back in the thick darkness. She sat up, on her knees. Up ahead, a bright light appeared and a figure emerged from it. She couldn't believe it.

"G-Ghoul?" the first words she'd managed to choke out left her lips weakly. She was thirsty. Unbearably thirsty.

But the thing with Ghoul's face merely shook its head. "No, I just wanted to come in a form that would comfort you the most."

It was true. That wasn't Ghoul's voice.

But then, Ghoul's actual voice broke through, piercing the darkness, making her head hurt. "Diamond?"

"Where is he?" she asked weakly.

"On the other side." The thing answered, "A side you can return to, if you choose."

"What do you mean?"

"Diamond. Diamond! Wake up! Come on!" he sounded hysterical.

"You didn't deserve to die. You were much too young."

More voices. Her friends. Calling to her. They crowded her mind, worsening her headache.

"I-I-"

"Yes. You died. It is only by the miracle of your friend's medicines that you have stayed suspended in this in-between for so long. But now you must choose."

"I want to go back." She said immediately.

"Back to that life? To pain and sorrow and blood and death and running for your life?"

"Back to my family. To my friends. To home and peace and love and music and beauty and art. To color."

"You could have peace. You could have heaven."

"Heaven isn't heaven without the people you love."

"Diamond!" she recognized Kobra's voice.

"Come back!" Missle Kid.

"Are you sure that's your choice?"

"Yes." She nodded, "take me back."

The thing's face broke into a smile. "I knew you would choose the right path. Come. Your friends need you." He held his hand out to her and stepped closer. She raised her hand hesitantly.

"Trust me," he chuckled, "I'll take you home."

She smiled and took his hand. A warm feeling flooded her body. Peaceful.

She opened her eyes.

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><p>(A.N. Dun, dun, <em>duuuuuun<em>. Cliffhanger. Please don't kill me.)


	3. Chapter 3

(A.N. Last chapter for the day. Maybe one or two more tomorrow, if I get enough reviews!)

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><p>Ghoul, stressed and tired, was pacing the room. What if she didn't wake up? This was one of their last IV bags. What would they do if they ran out? Let her die? No. <em>No. <em>He couldn't think like that.

He shook his head and returned to his seat, taking her hand.

"Wake up." he pleaded, "Wake up, please."

But she did nothing, said nothing. He sat back, letting go of her hand.

"G-Ghoul," her whisper was barely there, weak and scratchy.

He couldn't believe it. He sat in silence for a second before taking her hand again. Was he hearing things?

"Diamond?" he didn't dare to hope.

"Where is he?" she pleaded, a bit stronger. A fever dream. A strange combination of worry and joy tore through him. He stood up and dashed to the door, sticking his head into the hallway.

"She's waking up!" he called to whoever happened to be around. He left the door opened and returned to the chair, taking hold of Diamond's hand again. He heard the rushed footsteps of his friends approaching.

"Diamond? Diamond! Wake up!" he shouted.

"We have to get her to wake up." Missle said, coming up behind him.

"Call out her name. That's what worked for me."

"Diamond!" Kobra yelled.

"Come back!" Missle pleaded.

She was fidgeting, talking to herself. For some reason it scared Ghoul to no end. He noticed his hand was trembling around hers.

She opened her eyes. Immediately, they met his. A tired smile broke on her face. The room was silent, everyone just staring at her.

"Ghoul," she whispered, "you kept your promise."

Relief flooded him, making him weak but happier than he'd been in awhile. He helped her sit up slowly, propping her up on pillows.

"Missle!" Diamond exclaimed as she noticed the people around her. Ghoul stood up and stepped back, allowing Diamond to embrace the little girl.

"I missed you," she muttered into Diamond's shoulder, "Cherri's always running errands and Pony's just as bored as I am. I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad too," Diamond let the girl go. She looked and saw Kobra and Jet, who both smiled. But someone was missing…

"Where's Party?" Diamond felt a bit of panic. Had they failed? Had something happened after she'd gotten hurt?

"He's fine." Kobra reassured her, "He's in the main room. I'll go get him." He stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Jet put a hand on Ghoul's shoulder. "We'll give you two some time." He smiled at Diamond, "Glad to see you're okay."

He stepped out. Pony and Missle followed him. Ghoul sat back down.

"How long did you sit in that chair?" she began.

"A month."

"Waiting for me?"

"Yes. Why else would I do that?"

She didn't have an answer to that.

"So what happened? While I was out?"

"Too much to explain in the few minutes we've got until Party comes in."

"Then can you at least tell me what this is for?" she raised the arm the IV had been inserted into.

He smiled a bit, "That's what's been keeping you alive this past month."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So how's Party been doing?"

Ghoul sighed, "Better. The actual effects of the medication had mostly worn off by the time we got back here. But he's had to go through withdrawal. Not to mention regaining his memory. Kobra's been helping him with that. I've tried to, but…" his voice trailed off.

Diamond sighed and leaned back, resting, "So how long until I can get out of this damn bed?"

Ghoul smiled, "Dr. D will be in later to talk about that. He's broadcasting right now."

The door opened. They both looked at Kobra, who entered almost sheepishly.

"He doesn't want to see you."

"Why not?" Diamond demanded.

Kobra seemed to realize what he'd said. "I mean, he doesn't think you want to see him. He's convinced you hate him."

"What the hell does he think he's pulling?" Ghoul stood, angry.

"Nothing, okay?" Kobra looked at Ghoul, irritated and defensive. His expression softened when he looked at Diamond, "He just feels…responsible for what happened to you."

She was shocked. Not to mention slightly insulted. "Why would I hate him? I don't think I've ever actually said a word to him."

Kobra shrugged sadly, "I dunno. Maybe when you come out he'll talk." He stepped back out, shutting the door.

"I feel terrible." Diamond said, "Like I should go out and talk to him…"

"There's nothing you can do," Ghoul cut in, "his mind is still a little fucked up from the drugs. I have a feeling it always will be. Give him some time; he still has some stuff he needs to figure out."

Diamond nodded. Her stomach growled and she placed a hand on it, smiling. Ghoul stared at her, bemused.

"When's dinner?" she asked with a laugh.


	4. Chapter 4

(A.N. Power-writing to Panic! At The Disco really works. Seriously, get Vices & Virtues right now. It is literally sex for the ears. Trust me.)

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><p>Missle Kid and Show Pony sat by the bed, cans of Power Pup in their laps. Missle was glad she could finally talk to Diamond again. It had occurred to her that it Diamond hadn't talked to her or Pony in over a month. They had some catching-up to do.<p>

Pony was more than happy to oblige, talking enough for everyone as he told Diamond everything that she'd missed while unconscious. He was just going over how Party had helped Ghoul and Kobra reconcile with each other, seeing how they'd fought so much during their nights at the safe-houses.

"And he just snapped?" Diamond asked, shocked.

"Yep," Pony nodded, smiling, "Just got between 'em and let 'em have it."

"What did he say?"

"Mostly that he was sick of their bickering-"

"We all were." Missle cut in, "He was just the first one to say it."

Pony continued, "And that weren't they supposed to be friends and why couldn't they let the past be the past and stuff like that."

"Kobra really took it to heart, too." Missle said.

"Oh, definitely," Pony nodded, "He's been really-I guess the best word to use here is protective-of Party since you guys got back. Kind of like how Ghoul is about you." He smiled.

Diamond rolled her eyes, though she too was smiling.

"Oh, you think he's kidding?" Missle laughed, "I don't think he's left this room in two weeks. It's a miracle we got him out tonight."

"Seriously?"

"Totally." All three Killjoys were now somber, "He was really scared. We all were."

"He's a self-destructive person." Missle explained, "When something bad happens, he blames himself. He takes all the punishment, all the pain. If you hadn't woken up, I don't want to even think about what he would have done."

Sometimes it amazed Diamond how intuitive the little girl was. She felt a pang of pity in her stomach for Ghoul. She realized how much it would have killed him; to lose a daughter just as he'd found one.

"But enough about that." Pony said, wanting a subject change. He smiled wide, "What are we going to do about your hair?"

Party faced Ghoul from across the table anxiously.

"You'll have to face her eventually." Kobra said gently from his seat next to Party in the booth.

"Dr. D is nearly done." Jet said from the corner, opening himself a can of Power Pup, "He'll assess her condition. From what I've seen, she'll probably be up and about in a few days."

Party fidgeted, "I just feel…so shitty. About what I made her go through…"

"It's called guilt," Ghoul snapped.

Party felt Kobra tense up next to him in irritation. He silently willed his brother to keep a cool head. After being kicked out of Diamond's room, he'd been on-edge, anxious to get back to her.

Kobra didn't think that was a very good excuse. Ghoul knew how Party felt about what he'd done, that even though his guilt was irrational and he hadn't willingly done anyone harm, it was still guilt and needed to be resolved.

"W-Well I know that I just-" Party tried to speak, his eyes fixed on the table.

"Just what?" Ghoul spat, "Just felt bad about what you put an innocent fifteen-year-old girl through?"

"W-Well yeah…" Party stammered. His head shot up and there was a spark in his eyes, "I do! I shouldn't have let them use me like that! And now I've gone and hurt my friends and family and put people I don't even know in danger! And you expect me to be okay with that? Because I'm not!" Party slid out of the booth in one movement and stood, "I know what I did was wrong and I'm fucking sorry!"

Ghoul stared at Party for a second, his face expressionless. Then he smiled smugly and sat back. "Good. Now tell her everything you just told me. She can't possibly hate you after that."

Ghoul scooted out of the booth and stood up, making his way out of the diner. On his way he grabbed a pack of cigarettes lying out on a table. With one hand in his pocket and the other clutching a cancer stick he pushed open the door, stepping out into the now dark night.

Party shakily returned to his spot in the booth. He turned to Kobra.

"What just happened?"

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><p>Ghoul lit up, taking a long drag before exhaling through his nose. The smoke scattered in the breeze. He looked up, studying the stars.<p>

"Those things are gonna kill you eventually."

He turned. Jet was standing in the doorway.

"Old habits die hard," he said lazily, cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Doesn't seem to me like you're trying too hard to quit." Jet stepped out, the door shutting behind him.

Ghoul shrugged and turned around again, "What's one more threat to my life? It hasn't done me in yet, I think I can last."

"How will Diamond feel about that? You know she hates those things."

Ghoul just stared into the night, his back still to Jet.

"Why did you come out here?" he asked. Jet couldn't pick through the emotions in Ghoul's voice.

"Party's going to talk to her. And Dr. Death is going to assess her condition. I assume you want to be there for that?"

Ghoul finished his cigarette and flicked it into the sand before turning, "Damn right," he said before following Jet inside.

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><p>Somehow everyone had found a way to cram into Ghoul's tiny bedroom. Pony and Missle sat on the desk in the corner, Jet, Kobra, and a very apprehensive Party stood against the wall facing the bed. Ghoul sat in his chair, next to Dr. Death Defying, who was checking the now nearly-healed injuries on Diamond's leg and side.<p>

"Everything looks okay." He said, mostly to Diamond, "It's all healing like it should, though that leg has taken some time."

"So we can keep the bandages off now?" Diamond asked hopefully. The wounds had scabbed and healed; now only patches of raw, shiny, pink skin remained. The scars would begin to form in a few days. When Dr. D had initially removed the bandages she'd heard an audible gasp from Party. She had chosen to ignore it and keep her face calm, so as not to make him think she blamed him.

Dr. Death considered the question, "I don't see why not."

"And when can she get out of bed?" Missle asked from the corner.

"I'd say in a few days," the DJ answered, "Maybe in two we can see how she feels."

"Two whole days?" Diamond wasn't sure she'd last that long stuck in a bed.

"Compared to a month, that's nothing." Kobra smirked. "What?" he whined when Party shot him a look.

"Well I'm tired," Pony yawned pointedly. He stood up and walked over, giving Diamond a small hug, "See you tomorrow!" He walked out, Missle following him with a rushed "G'night, Diamond!"

Jet and Kobra each stepped out. Party looked at Kobra's back almost desperately. "You're not gonna stay?"

Kobra sighed. He turned in the doorway.

"You can handle this, I promise," he stepped out.

Party resembled a deer-in-headlights.

"Well I think I'm gonna go." Dr. Death said, "Ghoul, turn me would you? This damn thing's always making it so hard to move." Ghoul nodded and helped wheel Dr. Death out. He stepped back in.

"Where are you going to sleep?" Diamond asked. She had taken his bed, after all.

"The same place I've slept for the past month, besides that chair."

"And where would that be?"

"A booth. They're actually quite comfy, if you lay on them right."

"Wait, you can't sleep in a booth!" Diamond was about to suggest they share the bed, but it was only a twin, not big enough for two.

"Of course I can," Ghoul placed a light kiss on her forehead as she scowled. He laughed, "Goodnight."

"Night." She replied as he closed the door behind him.

She knew Party was watching her every move. She casually yawned and looked over at him.

"Why don't you sit down?" she smiled, "Make yourself comfortable. I don't bite."

He slowly nodded and moved cautiously towards the chair, sitting down.

They sat in silence for awhile.

"I'm not mad at you, you know." She began.

"Why not? You have every right to be."

"I definitely do not. You didn't know what you were doing or who you were. Besides," she turned her head, her brown eyes meeting his hazel, "You didn't do this. Draculoids and a fucking psychotic woman did this to me."

She knew he was looking at the scars on her bare arms, tiny dots flecking pale skin.

"I did those," he whispered.

She remembered the torture. Blood running down her arms in little trails from the deep, tiny cuts on her skin. She shuddered.

"No." her voice was hard, "It wasn't you. Not willingly. It was the medicine, the pills-"

"I let them take me away from myself."

"But these are nothing." She looked at her arms, "Most of these will be gone within a month."

"That doesn't mean they never happened."

"Of course not. But it's one less reminder of them."

Party looked at her. "I just-I barely know you-and I feel like you should hate me-"

"You want to know about me?" she smiled, "I'm Diamond Dahlia. I have no real name. I'm fifteen years old. A month ago, I escaped Battery City with the help of three out of the four Fabulous Killjoys. I helped said Fabulous Killjoys on their mission to find the fourth, which was successful. I currently live with them in an old diner just off Route Guano. My favorite color is purple." Her smile widened, "Your turn."

For the first time, Party actually smiled at her. "I'm Party Poison. My real name is Gerard Way. I have a strong addiction to coffee. In 2012 I escaped the wreckage of Battery City with my brother, Kobra Kid, and my other two friends Jet Star and Fun Ghoul. Up until then I was in a band with those same people." He smiled wider, "And we were pretty damn good. I now live in the same diner with those friends. My favorite color is red, like my hair. I love to draw and sing." He stuck out his hand, "It's a pleasure to mee you, Diamond Dahlia."

"The pleasure is all mine, Party Poison," she shook his hand.

Silence again, but a comfortable one.

"Well," Party stood up, "I guess I'd better go."

"If you want to."

"I'm tired. You should sleep, too."

She smiled, "You're right."

He went to leave, an oddly troubled look in his eyes.

"Party?" she said, making him pause in the doorway and look over at her.

"What is it?"

"I forgive you."

She knew there was nothing to forgive, but the absolution would calm him nonetheless. He smiled.

"Goodnight."

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><p>(A.N. Yeah I lied. NOW it's the last chapter of the day. Originally this was two chapters. But the I smushed them together and liked that a lot better. So yeah. Review!)<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

(A.N. Oh wow. I really need to update this more often. Please forgive me. Yes, this chapter is incredibly, extremely short. I couldn't think of any other way to do this. Calm yourselves, a second one will be up later tonight.)

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><p>Within the next week she was able to walk easily. It had been hard at first, the combination of her injured leg and being bed-ridden for the past month didn't help, of course. But she kept trying, and eventually walking and even running became natural again, even if she was still a little slow.<p>

Ghoul was the happiest he'd been in a long time. While Jet, Kobra, Pony, and sometimes Party, who was still getting used to being a Killjoy again went off Vend-A-Hacking he got to spend time with Diamond as she healed. Now more than ever he thought of her as a daughter.

Kobra had taken to helping Party move on with his life. He was always with his brother, they had become inseparable. Party depended on Kobra too, clung to him like a security blanket. Diamond thought it was quite cute, their brotherly love.

Slowly, but surely, they fell into a pattern of normalcy. A daily routine.

They would have savored the peace more, had they known what was coming.

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><p>Party Poison woke up, tears streaming down his face. Sunlight leaked through the window above him, making him squint. It was the first time his dreams had been so vivid.<p>

Kobra sat up in his mattress on the floor next to his brother. He rubbed his eyes and looked worriedly at Party.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Party thought of his dream. The bombs falling. The heat of the flames. The deafening pitch of the screams as he lost his wife and daughter in the crowd, took cover soon after. The end of the world as he knew it.

Without even sitting up or wiping his eyes, Party nodded.

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><p>(A.N. Again, I apologize for the shortness...)<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

(A.N. This extra-long chapter is dedicated to whoever wanted to see more of Jet Star on a review of Save Yourself. I'm too lazy to go back and see who it was.)

* * *

><p>Ghoul strode into the main room. Diamond, Jet, and Pony already sat in a booth, coffee and Power Pup in front of them.<p>

"Morning!" Diamond called to him. He smiled and went to grab his own food.

"Breakfast of champions," Jet smirked as Ghoul joined them in the booth.

"Killjoys," Diamond corrected.

"Same difference," replied Pony.

"Touché."

They ate in silence, each Killjoy trying as hard as possible to keep the dog food down. It was something that you could eat every day and still not get used to the taste of.

Ghoul piped up, "You guys wanna go for a drive? Maybe some Vend-A-Hacking?"

Jet laughed, "Antsy to get out now that Diamond has full mobility?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't." Ghoul shrugged, smiling.

"I feel bad," Diamond nudged him playfully, "keeping you inside all day."

"You don't. I do."

"You over-protective parental nature does." Pony said, "But that's beside the point. I was thinking of racing."

"Racing?" Diamond asked.

"Who against who?" Jet asked, ignoring her.

"Out in the desert." Pony smiled, "Trans Am versus Dr. Death's van. Winner gets Ghoul's secret porn stash."

Ghoul and Diamond both promptly choked on mouthfuls of Power Pup. Diamond because she was laughing, Ghoul because he was mortified. Hurriedly, he recovered and tried to defend himself over the laughter of everyone at the table.

"Excuse me? I don't have-"

"Sure you don't." Pony cut him off, smirking, "And I totally haven't found it."

"But I don't have-"

"Anyway," Pony said loudly, cutting Ghoul off a second time, "I'll drive the van. Me, Diamond and Missle against Ghoul, Jet, and Kobra."

"No Party?" Jet asked.

"He had a really rough night." Ghoul said sadly.

"That means no Kobra either."

"Then it's uneven," Pony frowned, "Who'll be the third?"

"Third in what?"

They turned to look at the door. Agent Cherri Cola stood, helmet in hand, her blonde hair tied back messily. Cropped bangs fell in her eyes, which were obscured by sunglasses. She waved in greeting.

"We're racing!" Pony exclaimed excitedly, waving back.

"Jet and I in the Trans Am. Pony, Missle, and Diamond in Dr. D's van." Ghoul explained, "We need a third. You in?"

Cherri considered the offer.

"If Dr. D doesn't have anything better for me to do, sure."

* * *

><p>After it was pointed out that this would be a race between the older Killjoys and the three youngest Killjoys, the van got a ten-second head start. Much to Ghoul's displeasure.<p>

They would head down Route Guano, to the old traffic cone Pony had found in the back of the Diner a few months ago. Then they would turn around and off-road it back to the Diner. Simple enough.

"You're going down," Ghoul smirked at Diamond as they headed for the cars.

"In your dreams, shorty." Diamond retorted swiftly.

"I'm as tall as you are!" Ghoul exclaimed.

"Yeah. As tall as the fifteen-year-old girl. Big achievement."

Ghoul's eyes narrowed.

"It's on."

* * *

><p>They were off. Pony floored it, jolting Diamond back. They had agreed that Missle would be better off in front, leaving Diamond in the seat-less (and more importantly: seat <em>belt<em>-less) back. She fought the momentum and managed to get up as close to the front as possible, allowing her to look out the windshield.

Diamond saw the cone quickly approaching. Pony jerked the steering wheel to the left, jolting Diamond sideways. She braced herself for impact on the hard van floor. Exhilaration filled her, making her laugh. This was awesome! They were winning!

"They're gaining on us!" Missle said, panicked.

It was true. While the van had an advantage on the road, the Trans Am was much better off-road and it quickly passed them. Diamond saw Ghoul turn around in the back seat and flip the bird to the van, laughing.

Pony swore loudly and hit the gas, but it was too late.

The Diner approached fast and both cars stopped in the front, kicking up a fair amount of dust. The Killjoys waited for the dust to clear before stepping out.

"Rematch!" Pony demanded.

"Not a chance," Ghoul approached the van, an unlit cigarette hanging from his triumphant grin.

"We beat you fair and square," Jet smiled.

"And with your ten-second delay." Cherri added.

"Rematch!" Pony continued shouting. Missle and Diamond just looked on, amused. They had no interest whatsoever in the prize of winning, just the idea of being able to say they beat the amazing Cherri Cola in a race.

Pony continued fuming as the door to the Diner suddenly opened. Dr Death emerged, followed by Kobra, with Party in tow.

Dr. D wasn't happy. "Pony!" he barked, "Missle! You have jobs, get to 'em! I let you slack off this week but get back to work!" Missle nodded, smiling. Pony pouted. "Yes, Dr D," they said in unison before hurrying inside.

"Jobs?" Diamond had moved over to stand next to Ghoul. He lit up the cigarette and took a quick drag before nodding.

"They help with the radio," he explained, "Pony travels the Zones, trading supplies for music. It's amazing how many Killjoys have old CDs and vinyl with them. Missle helps too. She listens to the broadcast on her own personal radio, making sure the signal isn't intercepted by BLI. If it is, she tells Dr. D, who pulls the system from the air before we can be tracked. She's really saved our asses a few times."

As he talked, Diamond saw Jet, Cherri, and Kobra begin to talk. Dr. D said something to Party who nodded, opening the door so Dr. Death could wheel himself back indoors. This left Party to stand awkwardly next to Kobra. He met Diamond's eyes and she gave a small wave. He smiled in response.

"You two seem to be getting along fine." Ghoul commented.

"I suppose." She sighed, "He's getting more comfortable being in the same room as me; so that's a start."

"He is trying, you gotta give him that."

"I do. He seems to want to get things back to how they were."

Party looked at Kobra, who was still talking to Cherri, before walking over to Diamond and Ghoul.

"They're talking about Vend-A-Hacking. You wanna go?"

"Yeah, man!" Ghoul smiled and turned to Diamond, "You coming?"

"No, thanks." She shook her head.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"I think Jet was gonna stick around here anyway. Why don't you hang with him?" Party suggested.

Diamond considered the idea. She'd never been all that chummy with Jet. This could be an opportunity to get to know him better.

"Sounds like fun."

* * *

><p>Jet had suggested they take a walk. They left before the Trans Am did, walking down Route Guano in silence. They had their guns on them, in the event of a drac encounter, and Diamond had her mask on. Jet had stuck to his sunglasses, preferring them to his spaceman helmet. Together they were quite intimidating.<p>

After a while, Diamond tried to start up a conversation.

"So what do you do?"

Jet looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, when it comes to the Killjoys, what's your job?"

"Oh," he smiled, "I'm the mechanic. I work on the cars and machines. Usually I work on new Vend-A-Hack models or ray gun repairs. Did you know Ghoul's broken three guns?"

Diamond laughed, "That doesn't surprise me."

"I was always the muscle of our group." Jet continued, "Even in our band. In our early days I was the one who got stuck repairing the van when we didn't have the money to hire a mechanic. But it was fun. It helped me feel like I was important for something besides coming up with cool riffs."

"So what was it like?" Diamond asked, wanting to hear more about the band.

"Being in a band? Oh it was awesome. Everything I could have ever wanted. I got to change people, y'know? Like, kids would come up to me after shows and just say 'thank you'. It gave me a purpose. I think it really gave us all a purpose. We were all together for about twelve years before the disasters. It helped us get really close, like a family. I really couldn't ask for anything more than what I've got."

They were silent, Jet lost in thought.

"So did you have a family? Before…y'know…"

"Yeah." Jet's voice hardened, "Well, not really. I had a wife though. No kids, but we were trying to have some. She had trouble getting pregnant-" he choked up.

Diamond decided to change topics. "So you've been with the guys for twelve years?"

"Even longer. That's just how long we were a band. I knew Mikey-" he paused before correcting himself, "Kobra for several years before the band."

"You can say their real names if you want," she smiled softly.

"Yeah, I know," he let himself smile as well, "I just got caught up in the past."

"Sometimes it's okay to let that happen. And to show some emotion."

He shook his head slowly, "I dunno. I've always sort've been…the glue. The force keeping everything together. I can't break down, or it'll make me seem…weak."

Diamond thought that over.

"You know, I heard a saying from somewhere. 'Crying isn't a sign of weakness. Rather, since birth, it has always been a sign that you are alive.' Maybe a long cry would do some good."

Jet sighed. "Yeah. Yeah it might."

It was getting late. They decided to turn back. As they walked, the wind kicked up and they had to fish bandanas out of their pockets to protect their faces from dust. They started to jog, wanting to reach the Diner quickly. As they neared the building, Diamond could have sworn she saw something in the distance.

As the wind died down, Diamond slowed her jog to a halt. She strained to see who was in the distance. It was obviously a person, clutching their arm. They were limping. Through their posture Diamond could see the figure was in incredible pain.

Jet caught up to her, panting, pulling his bandana down as the wind slowed to a breeze.

"What the-" was all he said before the figure collapsed.

Diamond broke into a run, Jet following close behind.

* * *

><p>(A.N. DUN DUN DUUUUUN. Yeah. I'm awful. I know. X3 Just brace yourselves. I'll try and update this more often, I promise.)<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

(A.N. Filler. You'll live.

Now that summer's here I will be able to update this A LOT more. So yay! :D Expect another chapter in a few days.)

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><p>Party Poison rolled down the windows, letting the wind blow his fiery red hair back. Next to him sat his brother, loudly singing along to the blaring radio. Cherri and Ghoul sat in back, Ghoul singing along with Kobra. Cherri watched it all with an amused expression.<p>

Up ahead, Party could make out a gas station and the white BLI vending machine right next to it, a striking contrast to the dust-covered surroundings. Party sped up, kicking up even more dust as he braked hard in front of the building.

The Killjoys stepped out of the car. Party adjusted his mask as Ghoul slid his bandana and sunglasses on. Cherri went back to the trunk of the car with Kobra, who handed her the Vena-A-Hack before putting his bright "Good Luck" helmet on. He took the Vend-A-Hack back from Cherri and made his way over to the vending machine, eager to get to work.

Party and Ghoul made their way to the store with Cherri behind them. She kept watch at the door, ray gun in hand, as they searched for any useable supplies left in the building.

It was a Killjoy custom to give and take. If you took some supplies from a building, you had to leave some for future Killjoys. Not everyone honored this, but it was sort of expected to just be kind to your fellow rebels like that. Party had brought along a small bag of old clothing and supplies they no longer needed or just were going unused. He hung up a few spare bandanas on the empty merchandise racks and set spare ammo cartridges on shelves as Ghoul poked around the store.

The selection of really useable stuff was pretty limited. Few people had found this before, and even fewer seemed to stick around for very long. There were, however some fairly recent magazines on the racks, along with some that dated as far back as 2014.

Occasionally, some of the more technologically advanced Killjoys could find ways to publish newspapers or magazines to help get news or even just entertainment out to help the Killjoys feel a bit more connected. Ghoul grabbed a few of the more interesting-looking ones, a few were only a week or two old, and decided to grab the one meant for female Killjoys. Diamond would like that, or maybe even Missle.

Party had moved to rummage through the desk that the cash register sat on. He was looking through drawers when he found two packs of cigarettes and a lighter. Doing a tiny jump for joy he pocketed them, surprised that anyone would give up something so valuable. There were a couple BLI propaganda posters rolled up under the desk too, along with a sharpie. He would have fun with those.

After looting the place (unfortunately, there was a lack of water or food) they returned outside, happy with what they'd found. Kobra was loading some guns and ammo in the car, a satisfied expression on his face, visible from the open visor of his helmet. He slid that off his head and returned it to the trunk.

"Good haul," Ghoul commented as Kobra shut the trunk triumphantly.

"I guess only a few others have found this place," Party said, shrugging, "There wasn't much in there."

The wind kicked up then, and dust began to fly around. Covering their faces, the Killjoys hurried into the car. Once inside, they all sat in silence for a little while. Kobra ran a hand through his blonde hair, looking over at Party and smiling. Party returned the smile, pulling his mask up past his forehead to rest on top of his head.

"Guess what I got," he said in a sing-song voice, waving the boxes of cigarettes in the air.

"No way!" Ghoul said, looking up from a magazine, "You gotta be shitting me!"

"I shit you not," Party said, smirking, as he handed a box to Ghoul.

"Oh my god…" Ghoul took the box, holding it how a priest would hold a holy artifact, "I love you, man."

Party laughed, lighting up a cigarette before handing the lighter back to Ghoul.

"Ghoul," Cherri piped up, taking one of the magazines from his lap, "care to explain?"

She held up the girl's magazine. Kobra and Party looked back, both bursting out in laughter.

"It's not what you think!" Ghoul argued, his face flushing bright red as he tried to grab the magazine back. Cherri held it out of his reach as she laughed. Kobra took the magazine from her, beginning to flip through it as he giggled.

"Pretty interested in the latest in Killjoy fashion, eh, Ghoul?" he teased, "Oh! There's a list of the ten cutest Killjoys! And Party's number three!"

If possible, Party and Cherri laughed harder. Ghoul just groaned.

"I knew you always had a thing for me!" Party managed through his laughter.

"You wish," Ghoul shrugged, "And at least I beat Kobra."

Kobra immediately stopped laughing and sat up. "What?" he flipped through the article, "Bullshit!"

"Hardly," Ghoul retorted smugly, taking a pleasant drag of his cigarette.

Sure enough, at number four there was a picture of Ghoul, along with a small paragraph about him. Looking down, Kobra saw his own picture at number six.

"Six? _Six?_ How the hell did I only get six?" He said, mostly to himself.

"And I don't have a thing for you," Ghoul continued to Party, smiling, "I was married to a woman, after all."

"Ah, but 'was' is the key word there, Frankie!" Party said with humor in his eyes. He had taken to calling his friends and brother by their real names when he was joking around.

"In your dreams, sass queen," Ghoul said, blowing a smoke ring in Party's direction. Party broke the ring with a wave of his hand and smiled.

Kobra continued muttering about Ghoul beating him while Party started the car.

"Just keep dreaming, little bro," Party patted Kobra's shoulder gently, "Maybe one day you'll reach the high level of sexy that I'm currently at."

Kobra scowled, "I hate you."

"No you don't," Party smiled, leaning his head on Kobra's shoulder, "You _love_ me, and you know it." He almost sang the word "love", dragging out the "o".

Kobra smiled, "Yeah, I do."

A chorus of "Aww"s came from the back seat.

"Brotherly love," Cherri remarked.

"It's so precious," Ghoul agreed.

"So who was this for, anyway?" Kobra handed the magazine back to Ghoul as Party pulled away from the gas station, turning around to head back to the diner.

"Diamond," Ghoul said, leaning forward and taking the magazine back, adding it to the pile in his lap. He flipped through the pile, finding an old guitarist magazine, "I figured you'd like this. It's an old one, a special bassist's issue. Pretty sure you're in it."

"Awesome!" Kobra took the magazine happily, beginning to flip through it.

They continued on to the diner, pulling in after about twenty minutes of driving. Party stopped the car and the Killjoys got out, gathering anything they'd brought along or found at the gas station. They left the guns and ammo in the trunk, however. Walking into the Diner, they set everything down, Party going off to tell Dr. Death that they were back and to see if he had any jobs for them to do. Kobra, Ghoul and Cherri chatted lightly until Jet burst in.

"Hey man!" Ghoul greeted him with a smile before seeing his panicked expression, "What's wrong?"

"Just come here," Jet said quickly, "and bring a first aid kit."

_Diamond_ was the first thought that hit Ghoul's mind before _Holy shit_. He immediately followed Jet along with Cherri while Kobra rushed to find a first aid kit and Party.

They hurried to Diamond's room. The first thing Ghoul saw was blood staining the sheets and Diamond standing over the bed, her arms and torso covered in blood and dirt. She looked at Ghoul, a terrified look in her eyes, though relief tore through her face as she saw Ghoul and Cherri.

Ghoul however, wasn't prepared for who lay on the bed.

* * *

><p>(A.N. Yeah, another cliffhanger. I apologize.<p>

Oh, and remember:

More reviews=Happier Author=Better, more frequent chapters

SO REVIEW, PLEASE!)


	8. Chapter 8

Diamond and Jet ran through the desert, past the diner, to the side of the road where the figure had fallen. They slowed to a jog before reaching it, stopping to inspect it.

Diamond could see it was a boy dressed in a plain shirt and jeans, face down in the dusty ground. There was a wound in his back, but it didn't look deadly. Gently she bent down and turned him over, her mouth dropping open in shock.

Bright red blood bloomed from a wound in the boy's chest, staining his white t-shirt. His dusty face, or what was visible of it through his long black hair, was contorted in agony, his eyes closed. He only looked about sixteen. His arm had its own wound, and that too was leaking blood onto the dry ground.

Jet stepped around her, placing his jacket over the boy's chest and gathering him into his arms.

"Go," he said quickly, "We'll take him to your room. Just get the bed ready or tell Dr. D or…something." His voice shook slightly.

She nodded silently and got up, ignoring the dusty blood coating the knees of her jeans, turning around to run to the diner. Missle was sitting at a table, her radio and a can of Power Pup in front of her. She looked up as Diamond entered, smiling wide until she saw the blood.

"What-"

"No time," Diamond said frantically, "Where's Dr D?"

"Broadcasting." Missle answered quickly, "He only lets himself be bothered if someone's dying."

"Well that might happen soon. Come on, we need to get all the sheets off this bed." Missle followed Diamond to the room they shared, hurriedly stripping the mattress bare. The last thing they wanted to do was ruin sheets. Blankets of any kind were pretty rare, unless you went into Battery City and stole them from someone's closet. In other words, if you could avoid staining them, you did.

"Where's Show Pony?" Diamond asked as Jet came in, laying the boy on the mattress.

"God only knows," Missle said, "He's always running somewhere or other on those roller skates."

Diamond pulled off her trench coat, hurriedly throwing it into a corner of the room, glad she'd worn a black t shirt underneath it instead of her favorite purple one.

"Shit!" Diamond yelled as she pulled the boy's shirt up, exposing the bright red and very ugly wound just under his ribcage. Blood bubbled out of it and she frantically covered it with her hands, soaking her arms and torso in the process.

There was a bang as the main door was flung open. Jet hurried out to alert the others of what was going on. Diamond continued to work on covering the wound, eventually ending up using the boy's t shirt and pressing down hard. Missle tended to the wound on his arm, covering it with a pillowcase that they figured they could sacrifice.

Ghoul and Kobra hurried in with Jet. Diamond met Ghoul's eyes, relieved more people had shown up. Kobra and Jet left to find a first aid kit.

"Who the hell is that?" Ghoul managed to say through his shock.

"I have no clue," Diamond raised a hand to brush hair away from her forehead with her arm, and that ended up smearing blood on her face. Ghoul stepped forward to the side of the bed.

"What can I do to help?"

Kobra and Jet came back, Party trailing behind, all bearing different bandages, bandage tape, or anti-bacterial products. Diamond stepped back and let them get to work.

"Nothing," she sighed as Missle joined her at Ghoul's other side. The three stepped back to the corner of the room.

"You're a mess," Ghoul commented. Both girls examined themselves. Their hands, arms, and faces were streaked and spotted with blood.

"Yeah, well, stopping someone from dying of blood loss isn't exactly the cleanest task." Diamond smiled weakly at him, though her eyes were still worried.

"Come on. There's an old hose in back. The water's still hooked up to it; though it isn't drinkable at all it sure makes cleaning the Trans Am easier. Let's get both of you cleaned up."

He led Missle and Diamond out; making sure the others had the situation under control before leaving. They did, the bleeding was nearly stopped and the boy was almost all bandaged up. Party stepped back out with them. His hands were bloody, his job stopping the bleeding was done.

The Killjoys walked outside, Ghoul grabbing the hose and turning the rusted knob to start it. Slightly brown water spurted out of the hose. Ghoul looked up and laughed at Diamond's disgusted face.

"It'll clear in a second, just wait." He smiled at her. She shook her head and went to stand by Party, who was talking quite animatedly to Missle. She seemed very interested in what he'd been up to while Vend-A-Hacking and he promised her next time she could come along.

"It's as clear as it'll get!" Ghoul called to them. The three Killjoys hurried to the hose where Ghoul washed off their hands and faces, Party helping to gingerly wipe Missle's face clean. Having clean hands revealed just how dirty and dusty every other part of Diamond was and she looked down at her clothes almost forlornly. What she wouldn't give for a shower.

As if he'd been reading her mind, Ghoul put his thumb over the hose nozzle and pointed the hose at Diamond, spraying her right in the face. She blinked and looked at him as he, Party, and Missle burst out laughing. Her face said rage but her eyes were laughing too. Quickly she snatched the hose from Ghoul and sprayed him too.

"What's so funny?" she said as she turned to soak Party, who was still laughing until being hit with a blast of cold water.

Missle laughed as Party managed to wrestle the hose out of Diamond's grip, spraying her back. Laughing she ran behind Ghoul, pushing him in front of her as he too was sprayed. Ghoul and Diamond fought to push one in front of the other as Party continued spraying them. Ghoul ducked out of the water, running over and picking up Missle. Party looked over as he sprayed Diamond.

"Don't spray!" Ghoul commanded, holding a laughing Missle Kid up in front of himself, "I have a child!"

"Spray!" Missle laughed. Party obliged as Ghoul shrieked, putting Missle down and running back behind Diamond.

"Not again!" she yelled as she ran away. He chased after her, Party following them with the hose, Missle bringing up the rear, laughing the whole way. They continued this for awhile longer until Kobra stepped out and stood to the side.

"Not to be a buzz kill or anything," he said, smiling wide and holding up his hands in surrender when he saw Party with the hose, a devious grin on his face when he saw his brother, "but everything's okay in there again. He's sleeping, I think. Or Jet got him on some really good meds." Kobra shrugged as Ghoul ran to shut the hose off and wind it back up.

"Did anyone talk to him?" Diamond asked.

Kobra shook his head, "No, and even then, he probably wouldn't have much to say."

"What makes you say that?"

Kobra pulled a card out of his pocket, handing it to Diamond, "We found this on him."

It was a white plastic identification card, the BLI logo in the corner with the classic _The Aftermath is Secondary _slogan under it. It read:

Number 157902

Hair: Blk Eyes: Grn

Age: 16 Height: 5'11"

ID: 103-538230-87

Diamond studied the card, wondering what the ID number could mean, and why there was no name, only a number. It didn't give any information other than that. It didn't look like an employment card; there was no picture, just the Better Living logo on the back above a barcode. A citizenship card? Possibly. She had never gotten one, but in the last month and a half since her citizenship in Battery City, things could have changed. But no longer giving people names? That was a little drastic. Shrugging, she pocketed the card.

"He's only sixteen," Party piped up from behind her. She realized he'd been reading the card from over her shoulder, along with Ghoul.

"If he was running away he's probably aiming to be a Killjoy." Ghoul added.

"Another Diamond? I don't think we can handle that." Kobra chuckled. Diamond shot him a look but he just gave her a "you know I don't mean it" look back.

"If he's a runaway I want to talk to him first." Diamond said, "I can explain how this whole Killjoy thing works to him."

"Fine," Party said, "I'll go see how he's doing. When he wakes up, I'll tell you." He headed back to the diner, Kobra and Missle in tow.

"Come on," ghoul wrapped a soaking arm around Diamond's shoulders, "let's go try and find something to dry us off."

"Can't we just sit in the sun?"

Ghoul considered it.

"Yeah, I guess we can."

So they did, sitting in front of the diner, both deep in thought as the sun in front of them set over a dusty horizon.


	9. Chapter 9

(A.N. Lot's of dialogue in this one. Help me decide if this is a good thing or bad thing.)

* * *

><p>Diamond and Ghoul sat just outside the diner, their backs to the wall, staring towards the sunset. It was peaceful. The calm before the storm.<p>

"We're supposed to get rain in a few days." Ghoul broke the silence.

"Really?" Diamond was surprised. It hadn't rained in the desert in years.

"Yeah," he took a quick drag of his cigarette, making sure to blow the smoke away from her, "everyone in Battery City is pretty stoked. They've been running a little low on water. Not like the other Better Living branches wouldn't bail them out if they went into crisis mode, though. I don't know why they bother. That water's hardly safe after all the radiation. They'll need a top-notch purification system."

"Better Living branches?"

"You didn't think that Battery City was the only headquarters for BLI, did you?" he chuckled.

Diamond shrugged. She'd never given the inner-workings of Better Living Industries much thought.

"Nah, there's headquarters in at least two of the major cities." Ghoul took another thoughtful drag before adding, "Well, once-major anyway."

"What cities?"

"New York and Chicago. I think they were planning to build ones in Vegas and Orlando too, so there wasn't such a gap between populated cities, but they never got around to it. The destruction was too bad."

"What happened anyway? I was only about eight when the disasters happened, I don't remember much."

Ghoul sat in silence for awhile, taking a few more drags on his cigarette before flicking it to the ground and sighing.

"I'm not entirely sure what was going on as far as the rest of the country."

"Well then what happened here?" she rushed to ask and realized this might still be quite a sore subject. She rushed to say, "I mean, if you don't want to talk about it-"

"Nah, it's fine." He shrugged, "It'll probably help me, getting this off my chest. Therapy, y'know?" he flashed a crooked smirk at her. She nodded wordlessly, her face solemn.

Ghoul leaned back in the wall, shoulders slumped. After a few more moments of collecting his thoughts, he began.

"It was just like any normal day. We-the guys and I. You know we had a band, right?" he looked at her and she nodded. My Chemical something, wasn't it? She's heard Dr. Death say something about it to Kobra once. Ghoul continued.

"It had been about two years since our last album. We figured it was time to get back in the studio. So we were all getting ready to go meet up at the studio. Jet and Kobra were at my house, waiting for me to finish getting all my shit together. That's when Kobra noticed the TV."

He took another deep breath, "Bombs were being dropped. New York had already been hit. Chicago was in the process of being attacked. Most of the south was already up in flames. The east coast was nearly gone, reduced to ash and smoke. They were suspecting several different terrorist organizations, even a few entire countries. The death toll was in the hundred-thousands, and rising with every minute. Everyone was in panic mode. Some of the news reporters were hysterical. Everyone was panicking. And we knew we were next.

"We looked at each other for a split second before running out, not taking anything with us. We already had our wallets and phones. We were kind of stupid, doing that.

"We all tried to contact our wives. I managed to get a hold of Jamia, but Kobra and Jet…their wives were in Jersey. The east coast. There was little to no chance of them surviving.

"It's good you came to me with this. Kobra still gets worked up about not saying goodbye. In a way, we all do. Though at least I got to hear the voice of my wife one more time.

"Halfway through me telling her to hold on, I'd be there soon, my phone lost service. The last thing I ever heard her say was, 'Don't forget, we all love you. Come back as quick as you can.'

"We tried to get back. God dammit, we tried so fucking hard. The streets were flooded with people trying to run, trying to find some way out. Just crowds of people. It was like they all forgot cars were an option. So we ran too, we even managed to make it to Party's apartment, down the street from mine. But then the bombs fell.

"I remember looking up, seeing the tall building in front of us. Then a plane. And it just kept flying, lower and lower. I saw it drop something. Then it hit the building.

"The rest of the attack is hazy. I remember Party and his family running out. They only lived on the second floor, thank Christ. They ran with us. There was fire everywhere. Bodies in the streets. Blood. So much blood.

"Somehow, we lost Party's family in the crowd. He tried to find them, but they were gone. And just like that we were alone. Not literally, but we felt more alone than we had in a long time.

"I can't really tell you what happened next. The combination of confusion and adrenaline and panic just kind of helped me forget the rest of what happened that day. Maybe it's my mind protecting me form further emotional trauma. Here's hoping I never have to remember."

He stopped talking then, pausing to put a cigarette to his lips and holding the lighter to it, looking at her with a 'May I?' expression.

She nodded and managed to whisper, "Go ahead."

He lit the cigarette, pocketing the lighter and taking a long drag. "It's been years," he finally said, "and I think that's the first time I've thought about that day without losing it. Closure's a funny thing." He shrugged and took another quick drag, "I thought I would know when it happened."

"Maybe it's just been happening." Diamond suggested quietly, "Maybe all these years you've just been slowly accepting it."

Ghoul smiled wryly, "Yeah, maybe. Of course, my positive outlook on life sure helps."

"Care to explain?"

He chuckled, "Through all of this, I've been the one making jokes and keeping morale up. I guess being the ray of sunshine in our little group has helped."

She smiled a bit, "I guess trying to keep a positive outlook has helped you develop one in the end."

He looked at her, "Yeah, I guess."

They sat in silence again. The sun was nearly under the horizon, coloring the sky a bright orange before fading into star-speckled night behind them. Already the temperature had begin to drop, and Diamond felt a shiver run through her in response to the cold.

"You wanna go back in?" Ghoul noticed the shiver.

"I'm fine if you are." She shrugged, "Besides, you have a cancer stick to finish."

He chuckled again, finishing his cigarette and tossing it to the dusty ground. "Not anymore." He stood up his back still against the wall, leaning against it. He looked down at Diamond, who looked up at him.

The door near them swung open, and Party poked his head out.

"He's awake." Was all he said before shutting the door. Diamond immediately stood and went to enter the diner.

"Wait," Ghoul reached out, lightly gripping her shoulder before she reached the door. She looked at him and he frowned slightly.

"Just be careful. If anything goes wrong or you need anyone, just call. I'll be in the main room with everyone else."

She nodded, "Thanks. For everything."

They smiled briefly at one another again before Diamond turned and headed in. Ghoul turned back to the setting sun, now nearly gone, and decided to have one more cigarette.

* * *

><p>(A.N. A bit heavy for such a short-ish chapter. Think I might try to go a little more in-depth about the attacks later. In the meantime, review?)<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

(A.N. So this story probably won't be updated again until about Sunday, but fear not! I'll most likely have a new story up Saturday. It's a Black Parade-inspired story that I've been playing around with in my head for the past week or so. I think I'm going to write it. It is multi-chaptered but it'll probably take awhile to update as the chapters will be VERY long (one for each track off The Black Parade) and most likely take awhile to finish writing and revisions.

Speaking of which, if you would like yourself perhaps placed into this story, you can PM me or write a review on here telling me your name/your character's name and a general idea of how they act and what they look like. I'll try and include every submission I get. Also, if you're interested in helping me write the story, feel free to tell me. I'll accept any help I can get, even if it is just reading a draft and telling me if it's good, though someone to check for grammar and help with plot and throw some ideas around would be much appreciated and, of course, you would be credited.

Thanks again for reading and reviewing my stories!)

* * *

><p>He was in a van. The men with the vampire masks. They were all around him. His head hurt. He couldn't hear anything over the pounding of his heart in his head. He wondered where the rest of his group was, if Combat Baby was okay.<p>

He felt a needle being thrust into his arm. He blacked out.

When he woke up, he was running. He didn't know how he'd gotten there. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know who he was. His chest hurt, and so did his back and his arm. He clutched at his arm, looking down and feeling his stomach twist at all the blood. His blood. Somehow he knew it was his blood. The heartbeat in his head slowed. The heat bore down on him, making him dazed and confused.

He collapsed.

* * *

><p>When he woke up for a second time, he was in a bed, a thin sheet covering his bandaged chest. Weakly sitting up, he looked around the room, at the dusty interior and the cluttered corners. He almost missed the man standing in the corner, but the man's bright red hair had made him impossible to miss. He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, staring at him with a curious expression.<p>

"Hi," he tried to say, but his throat was too dry and he just ended up choking on his words and coughing.

Hurriedly, the man reached over to the desk beside him, grabbing a half-empty bottle of water. He crossed the small room in two quick strides and handed the bottle to the boy, who gratefully gulped the water down.

"Thanks," he managed to croak in a cracked whisper.

The man just nodded, turned, and left the room, leaving the boy very confused. He looked around again, trying to figure out where he was. Then came the question of how he'd gotten there.

After a minute, a girl entered the room. Her expression was wary, and he just offered a small wave. It would be rude to scare her off.

"How are you feeling?" she asked in a small voice.

He just looked at her and said, "I've been better."

This actually made her smile, though he saw how she tried to keep a straight face as she moved to his bedside.

"I know it seems a bit soon, after just waking up and all," she mindlessly picked at a loose thread on the sheets, "but what happened?"

He shook his head, "I don't understand."

"How did you get on the side of the road? And how did you get-" she hesitated before pointing to his chest, "that?"

He too looked down at his bandaged chest. Looking back up at her, he just shrugged.

"I have no clue."

Oddly enough, she didn't look surprised. The tiniest realization hit her eyes as she nodded, mostly to herself. He noted with an almost childlike fascination that she had pretty eyes. Very mature, a contrast to the rest of her face.

"So do you know who you are?"

He thought long and hard. He knew he had to have a name. He had to come from somewhere. He just had no memory at all. He shook his head wordlessly again.

"Okay." She nodded again, a confirmation to herself, before turning to leave the room. Before leaving, she looked back at him.

"If you need anything," she said with a small smile, "just ask for Diamond."

He gave a small smile at her before she left.

He decided then that she was his favorite.

* * *

><p>The others were nice, too. There were a lot of them in the small house. At least, he thought it was a house. He hadn't left his room after a few days of being there.<p>

The red-head -Party, he'd called himself- was quick to talk to him. He seemed eager to help the boy with whatever he needed. He felt like Party knew something about him, but wasn't telling him anything.

The blonde, Kobra, told him that he'd been given some strange medication before they had found him that was keeping him from remembering anything. He said the memories would return, but it would take awhile.

What he hadn't been prepared for was how much he had to remember.

And so the long process of healing began.

* * *

><p>Diamond was sitting at a booth, a deck of cards between her, Missle, and Show Pony. They were playing Missle's favorite game, Go Fish.<p>

"Threes," Missle called out.

"I've got one." Diamond said, handing Missle the card from her hand.

"I don't," Pony said, preparing for the girls to both scream at the top of their lungs.

"GO FISH!" the cried, both laughing and high-fiving as Pony took a card from the pile in front of them.

"I don't like playing with you two," he said frowning, though soon he smiled, unable to keep up a serious pretense.

Party, Jet, Ghoul and Kobra entered the diner laughing. They'd gone out for what they called "Fabulous Killjoy Bonding Time", which usually ended up being just them Vend-A-Hacking. Diamond liked it, it always put them in a good mood.

As they sat down at a booth together, Ghoul flashing Diamond an amused smile, she decided to check up on the boy. He still hadn't gotten a whole lot of his memory back, but she was hoping he'd at least remember his name.

Knocking softly on his door, she heard frightened muttering from inside. She opened the door and found him tossing and turning on the bed, talking in his sleep. Closing the door she hurried to him, lightly shaking him awake.

His eyes opened and they fell on her, wide and terrified.

"Killjoys," he breathed, "You guys are Killjoys and I'm one of you and my group-" he tried to sat up, but she held him back as he talked louder, "My group. My family. Where are they? What have you done to them!"

"Hey!" she yelled back. His wild eyes met her calm eyes and he settled down slightly, still tense but now at least silent.

"Freaking out isn't going to help." She insisted, "Now we don't know where your group is. We just found you, on the side of the road, bleeding."

He nodded, "I know, I know. I just kind of-"

"Lost yourself." She finished his sentence.

"Yeah," he replied sadly before looking up at her in confusion. "How'd you know?"

"I know someone who went through what you're going through right now. Maybe he'll share his story with you if he feels up to it."

He nodded silently.

"So what do you remember now?"

He sighed, "Well, my name is Adrenaline Agent. I'm a Killjoy. I ran away from Battery City, where I grew up after-" he paused, "I don't know why I was living there. Anyway, I didn't like what my dad was doing with that…company…"

"Better Living Industries?"

"Yeah. That." He looked at her, "You got something against them too?"

She smiled wryly, "I guess you could say. We all kind of have a bone to pick with BLI."

He pursed his lips in thought, "I had a group of my friends and my sister. We were Killjoys together. Doomsday Device, Revenge Runner, Combat Baby…and my sister was Sun Kissed. She was…eight…the last time I saw her."

"Do you know what happened to them?"

He swallowed hard, "We were…just wandering the desert and then…these guys with…masks…"

"Draculoids."

"Yeah. Them. Draculoids. They came from just…out of nowhere…they had a van and…they took me and my sister and Doomsday Device. But…Revenge and Combat…"

"What happened to them?"

"They shot them." A tear slipped down his face, "Two shots. To the back of their heads. They were dead before they hit the ground."

Her hand moved to cover his. He took it, holding on like she was his lifeline.

"That's all I remember." He coughed roughly, using his free hand to wipe his eyes.

She nodded. "That's a lot to take in. Do you want some time alone or-"

"No!" he almost yelled before realizing he'd startled her. He calmed back down, "No…I mean…I don't want to be alone."

"That's fine." She smiled a small smile, "You've told me what you can about your past. Let me tell you what I can about mine."


	11. Chapter 11

(A.N. So the Black Parade story I'm writing is still in the works, but it's getting there. The wonderful guitargoddess2016 has volunteered to help with writing it and I'm very excited to share this with you guys! And this story will be updated numerous times this week.

So yeah. Enjoy the chapter! And don't forget to review, especially if you want yourself included in my Black Parade story. PM me for more information on that, or just go read the Author's Note at the beginning of the last chapter.)

* * *

><p>A week later, Fun Ghoul, Diamond, and Agent were sitting in the main room of the diner. Party, Kobra, Jet and Pony had gone off on a supply-finding frenzy and had managed to convince Dr. Death to allow Missle to go with them. Ghoul and Diamond stayed behind to make sure Agent was doing okay and keep him company, as he was still healing and upper body movement was a little difficult to do without hurting like hell.<p>

"So do you remember anything else about your past?" Diamond asked.

Agent shook his head, "Well, not a whole lot…I mean, I remember a bit of my childhood but…other than that…not much."

"Nothing about your family?" Ghoul questioned.

Agent hesitated, "I just remember my dad, my mom, and my sister. And before the disasters, everything was happy but…after it was all just…death and blood. And mom died…and dad was screaming. He was in an office, with me and my sister…and the whole room was white…and he was screaming at someone sitting at the black desk…a man…in a suit…but I can't remember his face. It's in the shadows. And after, he was…different…the Better Living people treated him with…respect…and I knew that my sister…Nora, I think her name was…and I had to get out of there…but that's all I've got. Nothing new." he fell silent after that, slouched over, arms and hands flat on the table's surface.

"That's great that you remember that much." Diamond put one hand over Agent's and the boy looked up and met her eyes with a wary expression. She smiled softly and he felt himself smile in return.

"Have you considered that seeing something from your past might jog your memory?" Ghoul considered, not oblivious to Diamond and Agent's flirting but choosing to ignore it for now.

Agent shrugged, "It's not like I have anything from my past to do that."

"Maybe you do," Diamond said, taking her hand off Agent's to dig in her pockets for the ID card. She found it and handed it to him. "This was with you when we found you."

Agent took the card and studied it. The slightest hint of realization hit his face before it was replaced with tight, forced indifference. He handed the card back to Diamond.

"I remember seeing that before." He said, his voice hard, "But I don't want it. I don't remember anything else about it. Keep it." He hurriedly thrust the card towards her.

Diamond took the card, a little shocked by his reaction. Clearly the card meant something that he really didn't want to talk about. Maybe later he'd open up about it. She pocketed it, deciding to keep it with her just in case.

Ghoul immediately decided not to trust the boy. He was suspicious, very guilty. He had some sort of past with BLI, and from the looks of the card and how he'd talked about his father's involvement with the company; he had a big part in the company. The story of being a Killjoy could very easily be a cover-up, and the memory loss was a convenient excuse as to why he couldn't explain more of his past.

"What did you dream about last night?" Diamond asked, interested. She put one elbow on the table and Agent linked their fingers.

"Another Killjoy memory." He said calmly, eyes focused on their joined hands, "It was when I first met Combat Baby and Doomsday Device."

"Weren't there five of you in your group?"

"Yeah. I guess we found Revenge Runner last."

"So what happened?"

"Not much. We just kind of got acquainted and…I remember…" a blush crept up his face as he continued to stare at his hands, "I remember I thought she was really pretty."

Diamond smiled sadly. Obviously this Combat Baby was very important to Agent, and it was sad that he would probably never see her again if she was captured by BLI. Very few Killjoys made it out of BLI, and even fewer made it out with most of their sanity intact. The fact that the Fabulous Killjoys had done it numerous times was just another testament to how fabulous they really were.

"What else?" she prodded a bit.

Agent shook his head, "Not a whole lot. They…Combat Baby and Revenge Runner…they showed us their hideout and asked us if we wanted to be part of their team…and I remember…I held Combat's hand."

Diamond looked down at their hands and her lips parted as she tried to say something. Before she was able to speak, Agent tore his hand from hers and darted out of the booth with a shaky, "I have to go to the bathroom". Diamond watched his back as he rushed to the bathroom and nearly slammed the door shut.

Diamond turned to Ghoul sitting next to her. He was looking at the bathroom door, but turned towards her when she spoke, "Did I do something wrong?"

Ghoul chewed on his bottom lip as he searched for an answer, "No," he said, "No you didn't. I think the hand-holding…it just jogged his memory a bit too much."

"I feel awful," Diamond said sadly, looking down at her hand still on the table, palm facing up and fingers curled, "Should I go talk to him or-?"

"I think it's best we leave him alone for awhile," Ghoul said, putting a comforting arm around Diamond and looking back at the door suspiciously.

* * *

><p>Agent laid his head on the cool porcelain of the toilet, kneeling over and clutching his stomach. It seemed like the bathroom was the only somewhat clean room in the diner, and he was thankful for that. He tried to slow his breathing and prayed the nausea to go away.<p>

Holding Diamond's hand…it had made him remember so much about Combat. He moaned in pain as the longing in him grew, and the pain of loss became sharper. He remembered, after they were kidnapped, how Combat had held on to him. How she'd made him promise that everything would be okay, that they would make it out alive.

He remembered what it had felt like to just sit with her, holding her hand as they talked about whatever they felt like talking about, or simply didn't talk at all, just enjoyed each other's company.

He knew he would never see her again, that the chances of her being alive were small and the chances of her mind being intact were even smaller, not to mention finding her would be next to impossible.

And then there was his sister, Nora. Sun Kissed. His world since she was born. He'd done everything possible to be a great big brother. He'd tried his hardest to help keep her happy and safe and away from the dangers of the world. And what had happened? She'd been kidnapped too. And most likely killed. He'd failed. He let her down.

It was foolish of him to think that the world was anything to be hopeful for. It was stupid of him to think that these days were anything but dangerous, and that love could last and prevail.

With that thought, the contents of his stomach were emptied into the toilet.

* * *

><p>(A.N. And we end with angst and puke. xD Sorry, I couldn't really do much with this chapter at the end of it. I promise things will get more interesting in the next few chapters. Then the drama can really begin.)<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

(A.N. Yes this is short. Yes this is very bad. But there will be more chapters to come as I write. I will update as I finish them, and you can expect at least two or three more chapters tonight.

So...yeah. I have reasons for this.)

* * *

><p>The next weeks were a rush of errands, running, and even drac attacks. They were getting more aggressive, and Dr. Death had started sending the Killjoys out on missions more geared towards fining supplies or information. He suspected BLI were planning something and wanted to be prepared to defend the diner and run if needed.<p>

Agent and Diamond had started talking and hanging out a lot. Ghoul was still suspicious of Agent. The boy hadn't done anything yet, but Ghoul had kept the ID card with him, knowing if he ever had a chance to do a background check if they ever found themselves near Better Living technology that could do that he would. There was just something about the boy, some missing part of his story. He claimed he didn't remember much of his family, and even less about his past before being a Killjoy, but Ghoul could tell the boy was skipping around details in his story. Something wasn't adding up.

Diamond continued to talk to Agent about his memories and helping him. Party helped too and slowly Agent was starting to be accepted by the others.

Still, Ghoul couldn't help but think he was hiding something. Something important.


	13. Chapter 13

(A.N. Go back and read the painfully short and awful last chapter.)

* * *

><p>It started with target practice.<p>

She had been standing there. Minding her own buisness. Taking aim at the almost comical drac dummy that Kobra and Party had made out of some old cardboard and what looked like the rusted front bumper of a car.

She held her gun steady, took aim, and-

She felt arms wrap around her, hold her close, align with hers and take hold of her hands.

"Relax," she heard Agent's soft voice in her ear, "just relax. You've got to if you plan on hitting that."

She blushed and he laughed.

It continued with him always tagging along with what she did. He always found a way to be there with her.

They would talk, and laugh, and once he even held her hand. Missle said it was love.

She was almost ready to agree with that.

Almost.

She was a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one of them. Love wasn't possible in the Zones, enough people had proven that to her. Love couldn't last between Killjoys, not unless you were emotionally ready to deal with your significant other almost (or actually) dying in front of you.

The more sensible part of her told her that she was just a silly girl with a crush anyway, that Agent was nice and all, but he'd had a wonderful girlfriend who he'd seen die and (Diamond was almost positive) had been better than her in every way ever. For all she knew he pitied her. She was lonely, she needed someone, and he was the same way.

And, yeah, she had Ghoul, but lately he'd been more of a concerned parent than anything else. He had gotten very worried about her health and was always checking to make sure she was okay, especially after Drac fights. It had been sweet at first, but now it was getting annoying. She loved Ghoul, she loved all her Killjoy family, but she really just wanted some space. Not to be isolated in her room forever, just an hour or two to herself and her thoughts. And possibly Agent.

She knew Ghoul didn't like it when she hung out with Agent. She knew he thought Agent was hiding something, that he wasn't being totally honest about not knowing his past. But she couldn't think of anything that would make her hate Agent if she found out. Worst case cenario, his father had been a head of some branch of Better Living and was in deep with the company. So what? Agent had escaped, he'd become a Killjoy, he'd seen his friends die and lost his sister. Anyone who'd gone through that couldn't be too terrible.

Of course, the shit hit the fan at the worst possible time.

"Drac attacks and raids have been way up," Dr. Death said to his now quite large troupe of Killjoys. He'd called them into his broadcasting room for a quick meeting.

"You guys have gotta be careful," he continued, "I don't want Missle or Diamond out there alone-"

"Hey!" the two youngest Killjoys in the group interrupted indignantly.

"-and I want the supply runs to be quick. Get out, get them, come back. Don't pick fights and don't make easy targets. Keep your boots tight, keep your gun close-"

"And die with your mask on if you've got to," Kobra, Party, Jet and Ghoul parroted in unison, linking arms.

"Yeah. What they said," Dr. Death rolled his eyes but he was smiling.

"Let's go kick some Drac butt!" Kobra pumped his fist in the air.

"Last one to the Trans Am is a rotten egg!" Jet high-fived Party and the two Killjoys, along with Kobra, hurried out, grabbing masks and bandanas on their way.

"Ghoul," Party turned back, "You coming?"

"Yeah," Ghoul smiled wide, "Be there in a minute."

Party smiled back and hurried off, pulling down his mask from where it usually rested on the top of his head.

Ghoul looked and saw Missle, Diamond, and Agent talking as Dr. Death and Show Pony shuffled through records.

"Diamond," Ghoul called and she looked up, "you coming?"

Diamond's eyes flitted to Agent before she looked at Ghoul again.

"No," she said slowly, "I think I'll stay here."

Ghoul felt his smile grow a little more forced but said a quick, "Okay!" before turning and letting his face fall completely.

What was up with Diamond? She'd been so distant lately, never hanging out with him or anyone else but Agent for that matter. All he wanted to do was talk to her, see what was on her mind. That's what family did, right? Didn't she look up to him anymore? Or was she moving on from that whole thing already?

Did she know how badly he wanted a daughter?

* * *

><p>(A.N. I smell drama and hurt feelings on the horizon. Stay tuned, Killjoys!)<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

"So," Agent said as Ghoul turned away, "you want to get out of here?"

Diamond looked at Dr. Death, who was immersed in music with Show Pony.

"What...do you mean by that?"

He laughed. She felt like a moron.

"I mean take a walk," he said, taking her hand, "just the two of us."

Missle's eyebrows rose but a smile crept on her face.

"Uh...yeah," Diamond nodded, "Sure. A walk. Us. Great." she was positive her face resembled a tomato at this point.

"So just grab your gun and-"

"Yeah. Walk. Us."

"You already said that." he smiled and pulled her towards the door.

"Um, wait..." she stopped him and turned back, "Missle?"

"I saw nothing, but you guys mentioned something about target practice." she smiled wide, "You go have fun, you crazy kids."

Diamond smiled and mouthed "thank you" as Agent pulled her away.

"Won't we be in trouble for this?"

They were walking around Route Guano, armed and alert with masks on and guns loaded. Agent had one hand on the gun in his holster and the other holding Diamond's.

"Dr. Death said nothing about me going off alone." Agent said, "And the way I see it, we've got oour guns and we've got each other. I think we're fine."

Diamond nodded, but couldn't shake the feeling that she was doing a bad thing.

* * *

><p>"Why so glum?"<p>

"Why so stupid?"

Kobra and Ghoul sat in the back of the Trans Am as Party and Jet fought over the map.

"Nice comeback, jackass," Kobra said, "But seriously. What's wrong?"

Ghoul sighed and rubbed his forehead. The mother of all headaches was beginning to form. He could feel it.

"Nothing," he sighed, "It's nothing."

"I suspect it's concerned-dad problems." Jet said, looking back.

"Maybe it's never-got-the-chance-to-be-a-dad problems," Party said, taking his eyes off the road to glance at the map, "See, it's Route 5 we need to be on. Now we're near Zone 4. That's not right."

"Dr. Death is gonna be pissed we're not being quick," Jet said, "especially after that speech he just gave."

"It's not any of that!" Ghoul said angrily.

"I'm thinking it is." Kobra said, smirking.

"Oh what would you know!"

"Not a whole lot more than you, when it comes to bitchy teenage girls."

"She's not a-"

"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't," Kobra said, crossing his arms and shrugging, "the point is that she's leaving you behind and you're too stuck in this fantasy of being a parent to realize she's moving on."

"I-she-" Ghoul was at a loss for words, not wanting to believe it.

"Kobra, cut him a break," Party said.

"What? Just because he gets to entertain his little fantasy of being the hero of some little girl who really never needed him in the first place doesn't mean he doesn't need a little bit of a reality check-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Ghoul spat.

"No!" Kobra said just as angrily, "It's not fair!"

"What isn't fair?" Ghoul shot back, "That I get to be happy for once?"

"Yeah, because you're so happy watching her fall for some guy who you're so fucking paranoid about-"

"He's hiding something!"

"Oh give it a fucking rest! You just can't stand to think that she might be starting to depend on someone other than you!"

"Guys! Calm the fuck down!" Party yelled over them. The two Killjoys fell silent.

Suddenly the crinkling of the paper map Jet was holding seemed far too loud.

* * *

><p>The sun had started to go down, but neither of them noticed.<p>

"So do you miss her?"

Agent looked at Diamond.

"Who?" he asked, somewhat confused.

"Combat Baby." Diamond said, "You said before when...when we talked that you loved her."

"I do," Agent said immediately. Then he hesitated, "Well...I did."

"What changed?"

"Not much," Agent gripped her hand tighter, "I just got tired of missing her. I'll always miss her though. But...I feel like I don't have to be alone anymore."

"And why is that?"

Agent stopped walking and Diamond turned to face him.

"Because I found someone. Someone who...who makes me fell like I'm not the only person lost in this world. And I'm so glad I found her."

And then he kissed her.

Just like that. No build up, no drama. Just a kiss. Innocent and quick, more a peck than anything else. He pulled away quickly, studying her face.

But it had been a kiss. And it had been her first. And already she missed his lips on hers.

So she grabbed his shoulders hard and kissed him again.

* * *

><p>(A.N. Dawww Killjoy love. Teeny Killjoy love. I am such a sap.<p>

This is the last chapter of the day. Expect more very soon!

Also, please review. And alert me of any spelling errors or typos. This is all being typed out and put up without much second thought or even a read-through.)


	15. AUTHOR'S NOTE, PLEASE READ

So it has come to my attention that it his story hasn't been updated in over a year, and I felt that an explanation was needed.

As time and life have gone on, I've not only discovered new fandoms, my writing style has changed. I've started writing for different fandoms, with characters and fellow fan that I connect deeply with. I'm still very proud of Save Yourself, and this account will still be kept up. However, I can't ever see myself writing about The Zones anymore. My Chem will always be my favorite band. I will keep these stories close to my heart. They just fail to inspire me like they used to.

I recently began writing again under the name AgentBuzzkill on Archive of Our Own. The fanfic there is Avengers and Sherlock. If you're interested, feel free to check those out. For now, it has been an incredible experience to share my stories with you. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, subscribed to or even just read my stories on here. You are all incredible people.

Thank you for everything. Keep running.


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